Running Fog Lights only....

[DRACO A5OG]

Recent pics with converted running lights:

[Thrlls]

Originally Posted by Wil Ferch

The advice that follows worked for another 86...please "check" your own car for similarites as I won't be responsible for electrical fires !!! ( LOL!).

Remove grey wire from the bottom of the fifth fuse block back from the front of the car (most likely, a bigger fatter yellow wire will also be attached to this position). [B]Leave the yellow wire ( if found as such) alone. Re-insert said grey wire into the bottom of the second fuse block back from the front of the car. There is likely no wire attached to this connection.

Done......

You now can operate the fog lights whenever the parking lights are on.

If you only remove the grey wire, and the fog lights do NOT go an...AND the interior fog light switch DOESN'T light up when pulled...then all "should" be fine and you've got the correct wire. Might also be best to use a volt meter to make sure these points are not always "hot"...to prevent surprises.

Well, after a couple of years I finally decided to do this mod.
Followed Wil's directions above...only after I went through a bunch of other options.
I have an '84 Carrera, so if anyone has the same year, Wil's approach will work.

Now just to clarify some areas as to where exactly the fuses are and which wires to move, I'll quote from the Bentley manual, page 971-14 Table C.
The Yellow/Gray wire is located in the #2 fuse block and is in position #4. I had both yellow and gray wires in there...remember, it's at the bottom of the fuse in position #4.
Then insert the gray wire (only) into the #7 position of the #2 fuse block, I had a blue and white wire in mine.
I also changed out the 5amp fuse to an 8amp fuse in fuse position #7.

Tada!
Driving lights (no fog in Hawaii) will turn on with city lights and parking lights on...or anytime I want.

Thanks Wil, I only wish I read your comment sooner than later!

Oh...and like Wil said, don't blame me for any fires....you do this on your own account.

[Canada Kev]

Woody, you have driving lights and not fogs? Where did you get the lenses as pretty much everyone else has fogs? That's on your Carrera, right?

[Thrlls]

Originally Posted by syzygy

Woody, you have driving lights and not fogs? Where did you get the lenses as pretty much everyone else has fogs? That's on your Carrera, right?

It's the OEM lights (fog lights) that come with the car however, because the lens are clear and not amber/yellow, they enhance the driving ability at night and would be detrimental in fog. Hence I call them "driving" lights and not fog lights. Sorry if I caused any confusion...I just can't see clear lens used while driving in fog.

[DRACO A5OG]

Just a note,

If you do plan to convert the Fogs to DLR's then you should consider getting the 35 watt H3's.

I found the 55 watt ones will melt the plastic housing. Mine pictured abpve are 35 watts motor cycle H3 bulbs.

CPI 35-watt H3 motorcycle bulb

[Canada Kev]

Woody, fogs aren't fogs because of the color, it's the beam pattern. If you look closely, you will notice the vertical flutes in the lens that will direct the light in a low, side beam pattern. They may actually harm longer distance vision at night. That's because they illuminate the close up fore-ground areas, over stimulating your eyes and reducing distance vision.

Clear lenses are not bad in fog. The amber does reduce the intensity of the light which may be a bit better for some in heavy fog. If that is often an issue, using lower wattage bulbs as Draco suggests will fix that up. In fact, I plan to pick up a couple of the 35 watters just for that reason. Thanks for the link on those bulbs, Draco.

[DRACO A5OG]

Your Welcome!

But in all seriousness, even if you do not use it as a DLR, guys with the fog light system one should really take a closer look at their fog light housing with those 55 watt bulbs, not a pretty site.

[Thrlls]

Originally Posted by syzygy

Woody, fogs aren't fogs because of the color, it's the beam pattern. If you look closely, you will notice the vertical flutes in the lens that will direct the light in a low, side beam pattern. They may actually harm longer distance vision at night. That's because they illuminate the close up fore-ground areas, over stimulating your eyes and reducing distance vision.

Clear lenses are not bad in fog. The amber does reduce the intensity of the light which may be a bit better for some in heavy fog. If that is often an issue, using lower wattage bulbs as Draco suggests will fix that up. In fact, I plan to pick up a couple of the 35 watters just for that reason. Thanks for the link on those bulbs, Draco.

Kevin - Mahalo for the education...I always thought it was due to the color of the lens and not so much the type/position of the lens.
I guess I should mount some lights on my hood...then I can call them driving lights...and do some Porsche Rally Racing...
I stand corrected...learn something everyday!

I now have independent Fog lights!

[Canada Kev]

Yeah! A bunch of big friggin' rally lights! LOL

I really wish that someone made a driving light lens for the fogs, but they're kinda low for that purpose, I suppose. Having good headlights, relays and not all pitted up lenses there make a world of difference.

[flexbert]

Originally Posted by 86 911 Targa

Kato,

For your '86, move the grey wire to fuse #10.

Good luck,

Gerry

86 911. Living in Canada, need DRLs. Searched and found this thread. Tried the first option of moving of the grey wire on fuse #17 (5th from front of car) to fuse #20 (2nd from front of car) and it would blow the main fog light fuse (#21, 16 amp, after fog light relay, the fuse closest to front of car) when the ignition was switched to on/run position (maybe at ACC position too - didn't test that).

Continued reading this thread and saw Gerry's post here. Thought I'd try moving the grey wire to fuse #10 as indicated in Gerry's thread and it worked.

So now I have DRLs when the car is on, by leaving the fog light switch in the on position.

Thanks!

Lex

[Canada Kev]

I think you can get away without DRLs up to '88? Maybe it's 1989... Is your car a ROW?

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by flexbert

86 911. Living in Canada, need DRLs. Searched and found this thread. Tried the first option of moving of the grey wire on fuse #17 (5th from front of car) to fuse #20 (2nd from front of car) and it would blow the main fog light fuse (#21, 16 amp, after fog light relay, the fuse closest to front of car) when the ignition was switched to on/run position (maybe at ACC position too - didn't test that).

Continued reading this thread and saw Gerry's post here. Thought I'd try moving the grey wire to fuse #10 as indicated in Gerry's thread and it worked.

So now I have DRLs when the car is on, by leaving the fog light switch in the on position.

Thanks!

Lex

Here's a pic:

[wwest]

Originally Posted by Canada Kev

I think you can get away without DRLs up to '88? Maybe it's 1989... Is your car a ROW?

It isn't a matter of "getting away without", it's a matter of the desire for personal safety.

[flexbert]

Originally Posted by Canada Kev

I think you can get away without DRLs up to '88? Maybe it's 1989... Is your car a ROW?

I'm in Nova Scotia and in NS, unless you have antique plates (for which the car must be 30 years old), you must have DRLs or drive with your headlights on. I am aware of a few folks in NS who have found this out the hard way

The car is a US car, purchased in Oct '11.

Lex

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by wwest

It isn't a matter of "getting away without", it's a matter of the desire for personal safety.

Lex indicated that due to living in Canada he needed DRLs, not necessarily desired them. They were mandated here between '86 and '89 depending on the vehicle type.

While many (especially in the US) really don't like DRLs, I find them a benefit. Whenever I'm driving on the highway, I always turn some lights on whether fog of headlights. However, I rarely use them in town except when the lighting is degraded. The DRLs are really for the people that can't seem to turn the things on at dusk, night or in the rain. They even help being visible when you're coming out of the sun when it's low on the horizon.

Almost everything on the road here has them and it does really make a difference, regardless of what the naysayers say. You're preaching to the choir, brother.

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by flexbert

I'm in Nova Scotia and in NS, unless you have antique plates (for which the car must be 30 years old), you must have DRLs or drive with your headlights on. I am aware of a few folks in NS who have found this out the hard way

The car is a US car, purchased in Oct '11.

Lex

OK, US car wouldn't have had them, either. Makes sense...

So it's really a Nova Scotia thing and not a Canada thing for you, then. Gotcha. When did NS change the law to make that the rule? When I lived there, it wasn't any more than the national code regarding DRLs. Mind you, that was about eight years ago.

And with the required annual inspections, they'll probably find it if it's not there. Just hope one of the techs doesn't notice that your fog light switch is in the on position. If that's the case, then you might just have to wire the fog relay trigger lead to a hot on run connection. That way your fogs will be on whenever the ignition is in the second position.

[Canada Kev]

Just checked this out as I hadn't heard anything about this. Yep, as of April of 2009, stiff fines for no lights. Something to keep in mind for all of you that might vacation to this beautiful area of Canada.

The province will take another step to improve road safety when all vehicles on Nova Scotia roads will be required to use daytime running lights starting Monday, April 13.

"We know that daytime running lights have been shown to reduce daytime injury crashes by three to 10 per cent," said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Brooke Taylor. "This law will help ensure everyone on our roads will benefit from the added safety that daytime running lights provide."

Passed in the fall session of the legislature, the new law will require drivers to use low-beam headlights during daylight hours if they do not have automatic daytime running lights.

While daytime running lights are mandatory on all vehicles manufactured and sold in Canada after 1990, there are a number of vehicles on Nova Scotia's roads that predate the change. Antique cars are exempt.

The fines, including court costs, will range from $164.50 for the first offence to $337 for the third and subsequent offences.

The legislation is part of the province's legislative, enforcement and awareness initiatives to improve road safety. The initiatives include a ban on hand-held cellphones, stronger and expanded penalties for street racing, legislation and funding to improve crosswalk safety, and an integrated impaired driving enforcement unit.

Learn something new every day...

[Lyle O]

OK, resurrecting this, as referenced from the current "LED lights" thread: I want to do this mod (use front fogs as DRLs), but my '87 seems to be different than the '84-'86s referenced here: the gray wire in the front (fuse #20) shows to be for the license plate light in my car, according to the schematic I have. Has anyone done this for an '87?? Which wire do I move? TIA.

[joe payne]

Originally Posted by oregonmon

Ok, reviving this thread too. I have a wiring setup like this so, I'm not sure which wire to switch. The 2nd wire from the right (gray for 79SC) says license plate and fog relay). I tried moving that one to different fuse but it didn't do anything to the fogs.
The 1st set of two white wires on the right are fog according to Bentley but do I move both or what?

It seems the 78,79s are a little different than the others posted.

Revival time! I had the same result with my 78. Where should I send the gray wire?
I tried #11 fuse and #5, but the fogs would still only work with the low beams on.

Thanks, joe

[joe payne]

Here's the owner's manual diagram of the fuses on a 78.